The SONY JLPGA Championship will bring together one of the strongest fields in women’s golf at Katayamazu Golf Club, underscoring both the growing global stature of the Japan Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association (JLPGA) Tour and the tournament’s ambition to become Asia’s premier women’s golf event, when it tees off from September 10-13.
The championship is expected to feature a stacked field that includes major champions Ayaka Furue, winner of the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship; Miyuu Yamashita, winner of the 2025 Women’s Open; and Shiho Kuwaki, winner of the 2026 Women’s Open. They will be joined by LPGA Tour winners including defending champion Shina Kanazawa, Rio Takeda and the Iwai sisters, Akie and Chisato Iwai.
“I haven’t won yet this season or put together the rounds I have wanted, so I have been working hard to prepare for this tournament,” said Kanazawa. “I have been preparing with the goal of winning back-to-back titles. I’m the only player who can achieve that this week, and I want to play with that goal in mind.”
Kanazawa also expects Katayamazu Golf Club to provide a formidable test and said: “The rough is very long, the greens are elevated, and there are deep bunkers, so it is a very challenging course. I think a winning score of around eight-under par is possible.”
Kanazawa will begin the championship alongside Kuwaki, whom she defeated in last year’s playoff with a par on the first playoff hole, and Yamashita.
“Shiho and I played in a playoff last year, and she also won the AIG Women’s Open this year, so I’m very happy to play with her again,” Kanazawa said. “I did not often play with Miyuu even when she was competing in Japan, so I am really looking forward to it. I want to learn from their skills while staying focused on my own game.”
Kuwaki, meanwhile, returns with a strong desire to avenge last year’s disappointment with her stronger mental fortitude.
“Last year ended in disappointment, so I have a strong desire to come back and get my revenge this year,” she said. “I feel I have improved overall compared with last year. Mentally, I am getting better at staying calm and playing my own game.”
For Yamashita, the SONY JLPGA Championship marks a much-anticipated return to the JLPGA Tour and to Ishikawa, her mother’s home prefecture.
“I’m back in Japan for the first time in a while, and it has also been a while since I last competed on home soil, so I’m really looking forward to the week,” Yamashita said. “As a major championship course, I expect it to be a very challenging test.”
Yamashita identified the demanding tee shots and approaches as key to overcoming the challenging Katayamazu Golf Club. “The front nine has significant elevation changes, relatively narrow fairways and several doglegs,” she said. “There are also trees in the middle of some fairways, so tee shots will be a key factor. The greens are elevated, and the approaches are difficult, so controlling distance into the greens will be very important.”
As she pursues a first victory in the championship, Yamashita is extra motivated by the field and the occasion. “When you look at the past champions, there are so many incredible players who have won this event,” she said. “I have not won this championship yet, so I will do everything I can to win.”
Minami Katsu joins the field as the first Japanese player to qualify through the Asian Player Qualification category. She welcomed the opportunity to return to a Japan Tour event and compete in a major championship.
“When I received the offer in mid-April, I had three open weeks in my schedule and was hoping to play a tournament,” Katsu said. “When I was offered the opportunity to play in a Japanese major, I thought I was very lucky. This is a championship that means a great deal to me, so I was very happy to receive the opportunity.”
Katsu said the category gives her a renewed perspective. “Players from the Philippines and Thailand competed through the Asian category two years ago, and I remember how exciting that was,” she said. “To be able to compete through it myself feels different. I can approach this tournament with a challenger’s mindset.”
The international appeal of the championship is further reflected in the participation of South Korea’s Kim A-lim, the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open champion. Kim, who accepted an invitation through the JLPGA’s Asia category, said she was drawn by a desire to understand the continuing global success of Japanese players.
“I was curious whether there was a reason Japanese players are performing so well around the world, so I came here to take on the challenge,” said Kim.
With this depth of proven international talent, the SONY JLPGA Championship is anticipated to offer a significant allocation of Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings points, further enhancing its appeal for leading players from Japan and around the world.
